Generally, fuses used in automobiles, and connected within a fuse box, are male fuses consisting of two terminals connected by a fuse element. This combination is typically encased in a housing made of an insulating material. The male fuse is adapted for plugging into the fuse box. The fuse box, therefore, typically includes female receptors or terminals for receiving the male fuse.
Many problems are associated with this arrangement. For instance, the female receptors in the fuse box contain spring loaded metallic elements for engaging the male terminals. These female receptors are easily damaged when the male terminals are forced into the female receptors.
Frequent changing of the male fuses also leads to excessive wear and tear on the female fuse receptors within the fuse box. This can cause premature failure of components within the fuse box and subsequent replacement of the entire fuse box. A procedure that is costly and time consuming.
To improve these problems the automotive industry has increasingly turned to female fuses coupled with fuse boxes that have male terminals extending therefrom. By moving the male terminals from the fuse to the fuse box, moving parts associated with the spring-loaded female receptors are transferred from the box to the fuse. The male terminals can be produced to withstand the wear and tear produced by replacing the fuses. Therefore, the frequency with which automotive fuse boxes must be replaced will decrease.
As the trend toward female fuses has progressed, the need for insulating fuse housings capable of shielding the spring-loaded female receptors has increased. Early attempts at providing a female fuse with a suitable insulating housing were met with mixed results. Many of the early housings were very rigid and inflexible. As the fuses were assembled, the fuse elements would often be damaged as they were force fit into the housings. Moreover, once inserted into the housing the fuse elements were often loose and easily damaged.
One such early attempt at providing a suitable female fuse housing is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,990 issued to Ikeda et al. ("Ikeda"). Ikeda provides a female fuse housing having an insulating partition. The insulating partition divides the interior of the housing into two compartments adapted for receiving female receptors. Ikeda's insulating partition prevents melted fuse member ends from shorting after the fuse member has been blown out.
However, the insulating partition of Ikeda is rigid and inflexible, and in order to maintain a snug fit within the housing, the locking tab on the female fuse terminal must be deformed as it is forced into the housing. This deformation has both elastic and plastic effects on the female fuse with the plastic deformation causing the fuse to lose its original shape. Thus, the locking tabs of the female fuse terminals will not ordinarily fit tightly within the housing unless manufacturers adhere to very tight tolerances in producing the fuses and the housings.
It is more preferable to have the deformation occur in the housing rather than the fuse terminals because the housing, produced from a polymer, will experience elastic deformation over a wider range of stresses. Therefore, the need has developed for a more flexible female fuse housing that allows for easy fuse assembly and also provides a snug fit within the housing, while at the same time insulating the fuse to prevent short circuits.
Furthermore, the tabs (sometimes referred to as lances) of female fuse terminals, upon insertion into the female fuse housing, will sometimes be deformed so significantly that the these tabs will no longer engage the housing in a manner that will accomplish keeping the fuse terminals "locked" in place. Under these circumstances, the entire fuse, or at least one of the female fuse terminals, will be free to move within the housing, with the potential for the fuse link to engage the fuse cap, and even push the fuse cap open. The present invention provides a solution for the above-referenced, and other, problems.